Your respiratory system is an amazing thing, but it can also be very complicated because it’s made up of a network of different organs and tissues, and they all work together to ensure that you get enough oxygen in your body and let carbon dioxide out. In other words, we need a functioning respiratory system to be able to breathe (and therefore live,) but there are few different conditions that can affect this system and make things much more difficult and even fatal. With this in mind, here are some of the conditions that affect the respiratory system so you know what to look out for.
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Asthma
Asthma is actually more common than you might think, and although it’s not great to have the condition, there are plenty of options when it comes to medication and lifestyle changes that can help you stay safer, so it’s not as dangerous as it once was. Though this still doesn’t mean that it can’t be dangerous, so it’s important to take care of yourself if you have this condition.
When you have asthma, your airways get inflamed and narrow, which leads to coughing, wheezing, and a tight chest, which means you’ll have difficulty breathing. Asthma comes from all kinds of things, from allergens to infections to the environment, and a medical doctor can help to diagnose the issue and give you tips on how to manage it.
Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is a worrying condition that can be very serious—the earlier it’s caught, the more chance there is of responding well to treatment. It’s therefore a good idea to be aware of the early signs of lung cancer, and to get medical attention if you think you might have the condition; it’s far better to see a doctor and have nothing wrong with you than to not see one and then be seriously unwell.
Lung cancer happens when abnormal cells grow in the lungs (or even just one lung), and although smoking is the main cause of lung cancer, it can just occur spontaneously or may be related to secondhand smoke, asbestos, and other carcinogens that you might have come into contact with. If you’re coughing up blood, losing weight, and you’ve got a persistent cough as well as difficulty breathing, get help right away.
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an infection that causes problems in the lungs because it inflames the air sacs. When this happens, there’s less room for the lungs to expand, so breathing can become a lot more difficult, but there are other symptoms as well, including fever, chest pain, a cough, and fatigue, so doctors should be able to spot this issue right away, although tests will generally need to be carried out to be sure.
Interestingly, pneumonia can be caused by both viruses and bacteria, but it can also come from microorganisms like fungi. Because so much research has been done on the condition, there are plenty of treatment options, too, including antibiotics and antiviral medication. If the condition is really serious and causes a lot of problems, a hospital stay might also be needed. Doing nothing at all is probably one of the biggest reasons for ending up in hospital with pneumonia.
